I'm terribly sorry that I'm so negligent about keeping updated. Begging your forgiveness, and assuming I'll get it, I really am here an will write...when time allows.


I thought the school year kept me hopping, but summer is proving to be a real workout. If raised pulse and rapid breathing kept me fit, I'd be enjoying optimal health right now...


Scout Camp: Jordanelle Reservoir


With the river running fast and deep, the camp site right next to it, Reed ventured out over night with all the 12 and older scouts from our area. ...including Gabriel. Saturday morning, packing up, Gabe is gone. Reed and one of the other leaders start looking. Nearly an hour later when their eyes are wild with panic, Reed now checking every debris spot in the river, the other leader ready to call an all out search and worried about news coverage, guess who meanders into camp?...really, guess.


Yup, it was Gabe. He'd gone to help a friend from another district take down his tent...and forgot to tell anyone where he was going. Much relief felt by all, except Gabe who go to hear the "you'd better be glad that I haven't already called Karen. She'd have been up here with atv's and pedophile sniffing dogs and you know how miserable we all are when mom's scared...the wild eyes and shrill screeching...we can all live without that particular stress"...(Nathan had the good sense to be in Yellowstone instead of with the scouts, so he missed all the 'excitement').



Just a few weeks later, Jeremiah Johnson Day Camp in Spanish Fork, me and 13 bear scouts.

Right after lunch, head count and face check, I've got 11 familiar boys and 2 strangers. I leave my 11 with another leader and grab 2 other moms to help search. We debate ten all head off in different directions. I utter a desperate prayer as I approach the river, run across the foot bridge, and discover the two youngsters happily panning for 'gold' in a trough of water.

After talking with them about the rules and the dangers of wandering away from the group I praised them for staying with their buddy. (I'm a big fan of the buddy system). This was on the walk back to the meeting point with the other searchers.

Later that day when another troop had a missing boy, and the search was more involved because the boy wasn't spotted immediately, I pointed out t my boys how serious all the leaders looked, and how scared it makes us when we don't know exactly where our scouts are.

The day ended with me disarming a youngster of his magnifying glass during the flag ceremony when he set fire to some papers and was totally astonished that it really worked. (It was one of my earlier runaways, so I invited him to leave it home from now on and to review our safety rules with his dad). The drive home was noisy and wiggly with 7 of the 13 in my car. I felt I had earned a shower and a nap, it was a good day!